Nottingham Forest

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When I look at Nottingham Forest and the market that they were in at the beginning of this past season compared with the market they are potentially in now, I still think it would be the same whether they had qualified for the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League.

Had they got into Europe's top-tier competition, I don't think they would have been able to attract anyone more high profile.

Financially, you could say it has hindered them as they may have to sell more high-profile players to fund signings, but from the perspective of players in the market, I don't think it is massively different.

When I think about player attraction, I feel, for example, if Newcastle ended up in the Europa League instead of the Champions League, they would have probably been able to draw a higher-profile player than Forest could have done if they had got in the Champions League.

Likewise with Chelsea, if they didn't get that Champions League place, they still would have been able to draw a higher-profile player than Forest just because of the club and how much time has been spent in those European spots in recent years.

Yes, the attraction would have been there of Champions League football, but I don't believe the market would be any different to what they would have looked at had they finished first to sixth.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Nottingham Forest are rivalling Leeds and Sunderland for 31-year-old Mozambique left-back Reinildo Mandava, who is out of contract with Atletico Madrid this summer. (Teamtalk), external

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Harry Toffolo says Nottingham Forest and their supporters have "given me moments I'll never forget".

It was confirmed on Monday the 29-year-old would be leaving the City Ground when his deal ends at the end of the month.

The left-back made 57 appearances, scoring once, after arriving from Huddersfield in 2022, and played just four times in the Premier League last season.

In a post on his social media accounts,, external Toffolo said: "I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone associated with Nottingham Forest.

"From the owner, Mr Marinakis, and the rest of the board, to the managers I've worked under - Steve Cooper and Nuno - thank you for the opportunity and the belief. I've loved working with you both and evolving my game during my time at the club.

"To all the staff - from those on the training pitch to the many faces behind the scenes that fans don't always see, you are the real engine of the football club. You've worked tirelessly to make sure we, as players, are at our very best every day, and I'll always be grateful for your effort and energy.

"One of the things I've been most proud of during my time here is my work in the community. It's something I'm extremely passionate about. To be named the club's PFA Community Champion, and to be asked to serve as the Mental Health Ambassador by the NFFC Community Trust, meant a great deal. I've genuinely enjoyed every single project I was part of, and your time meant just as much to me as mine did to you.

"To the lads in the dressing room - you're a special group. Stay close, keep driving standards and enjoy what's coming next. The future is exciting.

"And to the fans - whether you were chanting 'Hey Baby', creating special memories for my family, or just making me proud to pull on the shirt - thank you. You've given me moments I'll never forget.

"Enjoy travelling Europe again. Toff."

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We asked for your views on whether Nottingham Forest need to act urgently in the transfer market, with the first window closing at 19:00 BST on Tuesday.

Here are some of your comments:

Josh: I think the key is to not rush any business. It'll be great if we can get some early deals done, but there's no harm in waiting until the window re-opens. Overall, I think another striker is our top priority. I'd like to see someone with pace that offers something different to Chris Wood. It goes without saying that keeping hold of key players is a must!

Matt: A big success will be if Morgan Gibbs-White, Matz Sels, Murillo, Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic and Anthony Elanga are still Forest players by the end of the day. I would happily take that over any new signings, to be honest!

Sean: The key thing we need to address is keeping players like Gibbs-White and Elanga, who have interest from other clubs. Then we can try to sign some players to give us some quality and depth in key areas, such as cover for Chris Wood.

Mike: We need a centre-forward to help Wood. Hopefully, we keep our squad in tact this summer because having a small squad will not help us out next season.

Luke: I think the bigger deadline day for Forest is 30 June. I'm hoping that we can hang on to the crown jewels while the PSR calculations are done.

Today is the first of two transfer deadline days this summer as the window shuts for seven days before reopening on 16 June.

In a change to the summer transfer window norm, it opened early to allow clubs involved in the Fifa Club World Cup 10 days to sign players for inclusion in the competition.

Whether it turns out to be a day of transfer action or a pretty quiet one for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

Follow our live text coverage throughout the day here

And keep up to date with all the latest news, views and transfers for your club

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nottingham Forest remain in talks with out-of-contract defender Willy Boly.

The centre-back's deal expires at the end of the month but Forest are keen to extend his stay.

Boly, who also played under Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves, made nine appearances for the club as they finished seventh in the Premier League last season.

The 34-year-old has made 46 appearances since joining from Wolves in 2022, scoring three goals.

Harry Toffolo will leave the City Ground when his deal ends in a few weeks.

The left-back made 57 appearances, scoring once, after arriving from Huddersfield in 2022, and played just four times in the Premier League last season.

Alex Moreno has returned to Aston Villa following the expiry of his loan. The left-back played 19 times for Forest, making 11 league starts, after arriving on loan last August.

Meanwhile, the club is still talking to goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey about a future role at the City Ground.

It is not just at the top of the Premier League where American ownership has a foothold in English football.

Twenty years on from the Glazer takeover of Manchester United, one third of the 72 EFL clubs now have either majority or minority US backers.

In a special episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, Kelly Cates is joined by a group of experts to investigate whether this trend is likely to continue.

Listen on BBC Sounds

On Tuesday, the first of two summer transfer windows will come to a close.

So, do you expect business to be done at Nottingham Forest before the deadline? Do you want players to come in or exit? If so, what or who do you think is needed?

Let us know

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

Passing in football has become an obsession.

The tiki-taka style of Barcelona has now become the basis of managerial philosophies across the leagues and lands of Europe and beyond.

The problem is, few teams have the ability to execute it at the level required to make it effective.

Pep Guardiola took it to another level when he was in charge of the La Liga giants and it has served his Manchester City side well since he took charge in 2016 having won 18 trophies in the following nine years.

And, if the Premier League season had come down to how well teams pass the ball, unsurprisingly the eight-time champions would have been celebrating a ninth title.

With nearly 90% accuracy, they rarely put a foot - or pass - wrong.

And yet, in reality, it did not translate to success on the pitch this year.

Whether it was teams finally finding the chinks in the passing-machine armour or the side's misplaced passes proving more costly than in previous seasons without key players, City could not take advantage of their dominance with the ball.

And for one of the most acute examples of ability with the ball not translating to on-the-pitch success, we only have to look at Southampton.

The Saints at one point looked set to break Derby County's record for the least amount of points in a Premier League campaign, and yet they were less than 1% behind actual league champions Liverpool when it came to passing accuracy.

While fans could have some appreciation for watching nice football, they might have appreciated some scrappy displays that resulted in hard-fought results and possible safety more.

In contrast, Crystal Palace had the least accurate passing of any team in the league.

And yet, Oliver Glasner's side ultimately finished 12th - just three points off a top-half finish - and won the FA Cup final against the club with the best passing ability of them all.

They are not the only team to have had successful seasons in their own right while being in the bottom six for passing accuracy.

Nottingham Forest were 19th in this table metric, but in reality were fighting for Champions League places.

Bournemouth and Brentford also battled for possible European spots into the final weeks of the season, and even Everton finished the campaign comfortably away from relegation that at one point they looked set to be in a battle to escape.

So what does this tell us? When it comes to winning football matches, passing the ball well is not the be-all and end-all.

*Table data from Opta

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

"We never do it the easy way."

Something muttered by many a football fan as they watch their side go 1-0 down again.

As frustrating as it can be watching from the stands or on the TV, it is a position some teams thrive in.

Luring the opposition into a false sense of security, it is almost as though they do not get going until they have given the other team a chance.

And if the league was measured on how well a team bounces back after conceding the first goal, then this season would have seen Brighton coming away with a Premier League title.

There were 17 occasions in 2024-25 when the Seagulls conceded the first goal, but from those they came back to win five and draw five - rescuing 20 points in the process.

It will not have made for comfortable watching for the fans, but it does show the tenacity of Fabian Hurzeler's side to turn a match around.

The sign of champions is to win when you are not at your best and that is what Liverpool did this campaign. They may not have have conceded first as often as Brighton, but they still came back to win four times and draw seven.

It will not have always helped the cause of those chasing European spots, but Newcastle, Fulham and Aston Villa all showed the resilience that they could go one-goal down and still get much-needed points from a game.

At the other end of the scale, while some teams thrive in this situation, others flounder.

Nottingham Forest surprised many onlookers going from relegation candidates to battling for a Champions League spot in less than 12 months.

But key to that was their defence. There were not many occasions where they went 1-0 down - however, when they did, their ability to turn it around was in relegation territory.

The silver-lining for Reds fans, though, is that they really did make it difficult for the opposition to get in front and this is a strength they will hope to build on going forwards.

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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Ideally, this summer will see Nottingham Forest build on the success of European qualification and near-misses in the FA Cup and making the Champions League.

It is pretty obvious where we need to recruit – injuries and fatigue caught up with us at the end of the season and losing the likes of Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Murillo cost us in important games.

Last summer's business, adding Elliot Anderson and Nikola Milenkovic, was particularly astute. But the other signings did not strengthen the squad as we might have hoped, and the recruitment team will do well to find a few more rough, or even polished, diamonds.

We are well stocked in central midfield but really need competition in defence and attack.

Our position now, compared with 12 months ago, is a different proposition for potential players - rather than battling relegation, those looking to make a name in the Premier League outside of the 'big six' have a new destination. And financially we are in a fairly good place to be growing the squad sustainably.

That said, beyond new signings it is a time to consider how we develop tactically.

Steve Cooper tried and failed to move from a 4-2-3-1 formation to 4-3-3, and it is no easy transition without well-drilled players and strategic nous.

Foregoing possession and playing on the break has served Forest very well in recent seasons, but it was evident in the latter games of the campaign that when teams offered up the ball the Reds were not really sure how best to capitalise. What happens when we have more than 50% possession? How do we adapt to those games?

That problem will rear its head again. Of course, I'm not the only one thinking this - and Nuno Espirito Santo will have inevitably started thinking about how we progress.

Greater depth in players, as well as a settled squad and management team, will make the transition easier.

But, for the first time in a generation, we can start a new Premier League season without nervously looking over our shoulder and instead setting our sights above us.

Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external

BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha has given us his insight and opinion every fortnight on your Premier League club throughout this season.

But this week, he's in the hotseat for your questions.

Maybe ask him who should be on your club's radar this summer, or where a rumoured target or new signing might fit into the team.

Perhaps see what he thinks about how successful a new recruit might be, who it is vital to keep, or what is needed to make next season a success.

Send in your questions here and we'll put a selection to him

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

Many of us will have been there in school.

It was not always about being the best, but about being better. Not trying to beat the others' scores or times, but about beating your own.

In sport too, it is why personal bests exist. It is a way of measuring your own improvement against what has gone before - we can't all be Usain Bolt and Florence Griffith-Joyner.

So if the Premier League season was all about how you compared to the campaign before, who would have come out on top?

Well, there is one clear winner.

With 29 points more than they had in 2023-24, Nottingham Forest would have been lifting that trophy.

They may not have finished the season quite as they hoped having spent so much time in the Champions League spots, but having narrowly avoided relegation a year ago, this shows the sheer scale of the improvement this term.

Their nearest challenger on this basis would have been Brentford.

With 56 points, they were three points short of their best ever Premier League tally, but having flirted with relegation last time out, it made for a more enjoyable season this time around.

Brighton, Bournemouth and Fulham may have just missed out on European adventures in the real league, but they are also teams who can be happy with the improvements they are showing as now well-established top-flight sides.

And despite the chaotic nature of Chelsea since the new ownership came in, they too can look to steady progress.

At the other end of the scale (or table), it is a very different picture.

Many question whether the traditional 'big six' teams is still relevant, given how others have broken that mould in recent years.

But if the season was based on improvement, four of those six would have been at the bottom.

Tottenham dropped-off in the league nearly as much as Forest improved. Manchester City had a high bar to reach, but a torrid spell proved costly. Manchester United have set multiple unwanted club records, while Arsenal struggled to maintain a real challenge for the title.

They say beware the wounded tiger, and it is hard to see all these sides having the same difficulties next season, but they will not have it all their own way with those teams that are on the up.

*All data from Opta and only teams who were in the league in 2023-24

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We asked for you to tell us what Nottingham Forest need to do in the summer transfer window.

Here are some of your comments:

Mark: Like any organisation that relies on stats to support decisions, Forest should now look to release players twho are liabilities and costing them matches with their mistakes. One look at the number of free-kicks awarded against players should highlight where reckless tackles have had serious consequences. If that behaviour can't be rectified in training then it's time to let a player go. So, Ryan Yates, play with your feet, not your arms...!

Jesse: Forest have a strong squad at the moment but if we want to challenge for the Champions League places next season and win the Conference League, we need to make the squad even stronger. The other teams at the top of the Premier League seem to be looking at making big signings this summer and if we want to compete with those teams then we need to sign players as well. Specific areas we need to improve are the midfield mostly, but also the bench. We do not have a strong enough bench to be rotating in all competitions. I think we also need to try to hold on to the big players.

Jack: Nuno needs to be realistic. We were fortunate with injuries last season and still struggled with depth. Now we have a potential European campaign on the cards, despite Nuno's preference for a small squad we simply must get bigger. I think we cash in on Morgan Gibbs-white now. In that back third of the season, I'm not sure how he was being deployed but it seemed all he wanted to do was beat players and shoot. I think he's a much better centre mid than being a pseudo number 10, but he wants the glory and attention so won't do it.

David: Complete confidence in the club to continue our progress. To compete deep into more than one competition, though, we need big bench upgrades but particularly need a younger, more mobile forward, more goal threat out wide and competition at full-back. Sangare fit again is like a new signing.

Peter: Most of us accept Gibbs-White will be off, likely to Manchester City. If/when he does, it's just the reality of how a club like us has to operate. He has been excellent for three seasons and now we will cash in on him. Eventually, Murillo will go the same way, but hopefully not until at least January. In terms of incomings, our lack of squad depth became painfully clear as we stumbled out of the Champions League and into the Conference League. So I expect this to be addressed and early, so that Nuno can foster the exceptional squad unity that was the bedrock of our still exceptional season.

Thank you for the feedback you submitted on the Premier League club pages.

Our aim is to contain all of the BBC's in-depth coverage of that team in one place, so it is helpful to hear from you - you are who the pages are for after all.

We are going through all your responses and will take suggestions on board for next season.

As the dust settles on this Premier League campaign, we asked former England international Fara Williams for her underrated XI for the season.

She selected Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest as part of her midfield.

I've been so impressed with Anderson this season. We saw glimpses of his quality at Newcastle but I was not sure how he would perform as a regular starter in a Premier League midfield.

He has shown himself to be an assured and consistent performer who was a key cog in a team that enjoyed a really impressive season. He is so calm on the ball, rarely gives it away and is a excellent dribbler.

I'm really excited to see how he does in Europe next season.

Anderson started 33 Premier League games this season, scoring twice and assisting six times.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

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The transfer window opens on Sunday - albeit for 10 days initially, mainly so sides competing in the Club World Cup can get early business done - before reopening for the rest of the summer on 16 June.

Are there certain players you are desperate for Nottingham Forest to sign, or an area of the squad that needs improving? Or maybe holding on to a key player is your biggest priority.

And what about sales - who needs to go?

So over to you... what names need bringing in and shipping out?

Let us know here

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Former Nottingham Forest midfielder Steve Hodge believes that the Reds will struggle to hold on to their best players going into next season, particularly Morgan Gibbs-White.

Hodge told BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up And Show More Football podcast that Gibbs-White needs to be in the Champions League in order to make a World Cup squad.

"It's a fact, it's the way of football," he said. "If he wants to go to a World Cup he'll probably believe that Thomas Tuchel wants him in a Champions League team, either in England or Europe somewhere.

"These players are here for their career, to enhance their career, and if they see a better opportunity elsewhere they will want to move on. I think that's genuinely how players should look at it.

"Opportunity comes along every now and then and the players will look at it and think: 'I want to be at the World Cup next year so I need to be playing in the Champions League.'

"Thomas Tuchel and the like will say: 'You need to be with a team that's challenging with the pressure of having to go somewhere and win a game.' At Forest, it's a bit different."

Listen to more from Hodge on the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast on BBC Sounds here

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The team at BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up And Show More Football podcast looked back on a mixed season for Forest, after missing out on Champions League football by only two points.

Host David Jackson asked Colin Fray for his reflection on the Premier League season at the City Ground and he said: "Overall you have to commend them for what's been an incredible season.

"A totally unexpected challenge for anywhere near the top half of the table which ended up prolonging into a challenge for European football, and they've ended up getting European football.

"They doubled their points tally from last season, they've take so many strides in so many areas but at the same time, I'm sure that there is some regret about what's happened over the last few weeks of the season.

"I'm sure there are very good reasons for it, I'm sure a lot of the players have just hit a brick wall in terms of fatigue, tiredness, injuries and I think some of them have been playing through injuries and I think that's affected them over the run-in.

"It's easy to say now if they had added a couple of players [in the January transfer window] then I'm fairly sure it gives them an extra couple of points."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds here

The latest episode of BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up And Show More Football podcast has landed.

The team reflect on an amazing season at the City Ground where Forest have secured European football for the first time in 30 years.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds